Fingers On Buzzers

102 Crossing Words, with Mick Hodgkin

Most quizzers love taking their time over a crossword at the weekend and might even be partial to a puzzler book to take on holiday, but what's it like to work in the worlds of puzzles and crosswords professionally? Well, Jenny and Lucy decided to invite The Times and Sunday Times puzzles editor and crossword setter, Mick Hodgkin into the studio to pick his brains about this and what happened at this year's Times Crossword Championships, which sounded like a nail-biting affair!We also hear from Mick about his appearances on Only Connect and Egg Heads, as well as why his past career meant he often voiced the roles of world dictators and despot. Plus, the gang indulge in some TV nostalgia when they see how well the quiz aspect of game show 'Crosswits' stands up today and why we need to bring back televised sudoku!    Don't forget to get your hands on the FOB BOOK! Fingers on Buzzers: From Bullseye to Pointless, a celebratory journey through the history of the Great British Quiz  <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/fingers-on-buzzers/jenny-ryan/9781789466836?sv1=affiliate&amp;sv_campaign_id=259955&amp;awc=3787_1697746642_a8208bc44dc98943583503783e59d6f1&amp;utm_source=259955&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=Genie+Shopping+CSS" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fingers on Buzzers by Jenny Ryan | Waterstones</a> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Fingers on Buzzers is brought to you by comedian and keen amateur quizzer Lucy Porter, alongside The Chase's very own Jenny Ryan. Whether you’re a Pointless armchair aficionado, nostalgic for the days of Going for Gold, or a bona fide Mastermind, this is the podcast for you.  Jenny and Lucy speak to a host of people who work behind the scenes of our favourite TV quiz shows, including James Harkin (QI), Roger Tilling (the ‘Voice’ of University Challenge) and Jenny Hawker (Only Connect); plus we hear from epic winners and losers of quiz shows past and present, from Bullseye and Blockbusters to Britain's Brightest Family and everything in between.  Lucy and Jenny will also discuss the BIG issues including the etiquette of pub quizzing, new quizzing technology and how questions have changed with the times. All the BIG questions will be asked (and answered.) What IS the difference between quiz shows and game shows? With the help of experts and enthusiasts alike, Jenny and Lucy get to the bottom of that and much, much more besides. There's also plenty of opportunities to play-along, as week-by-week Jenny coaches plucky layperson Lucy on the ‘quiz syllabus’, and in-turn Lucy tests the mettle of general knowledge guru Jenny with a weekly pop-quiz.  Whether you're an Only Connect know-it-all, still dine-out on your Fifteen To One appearance from 1993, or only indulge in Trivial Pursuits on December 25th, this podcast is for you.  Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.